Sharing account information and a phone number between personal mobile phone and an in-vehicle embedded phone

ABSTRACT

A phone embedded within a vehicle for automatically using a service plan of a proximate personal mobile phone. The embedded phone includes an internal communication component that detects the presence of the personal mobile phone, and receives a mobile subscriber identification number from the detected phone. The embedded phone also includes an external communication component that sends the received mobile subscriber identification number to a wireless network authority, and receives an authentication request to the personal mobile phone via the embedded phone. The internal communication component sends the authentication request to the personal mobile phone. The personal mobile phone generates an authentication signal, and the external communication component sends the authentication signal to the wireless network authority.

PRIORITY CLAIM

The following application is incorporated by reference as if fully setforth herein: U.S. application Ser. No. 10/765,720 filed Jan. 26, 2004.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to telecommunications and, morespecifically, to wireless telecommunications.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Worldwide, regulatory bodies have begun to mandate the use of hands freesystems for phone conversations in vehicles. A hands free system enablesthe driver to carry on a phone conversation without holding a phone totheir ear. While some systems incorporate a headset, typically a handsfree system comprises a microphone and speaker mounted in the vehicleand connected to a cellular phone mounted in a cradle. Existing systemstypically require pressing keys on the phone or on a separate keypadembedded in the dashboard to dial a phone number. Newer systems usevoice recognition, implemented as part of the hands free system orembedded phone system, to enable a true hands free operation. Someproviders of applications attempt to use hands free systems (a.k.a.hands free kits) in tandem with the user's personal phone to delivertheir service, removing the need for an in-vehicle embedded phone.

There exist disadvantages with current systems. A system based on aportable phone mounted in a cradle is inherently unreliable as the phonemay become detached from its cradle at the time it is most needed (e.g.,because of crash impact.) In addition, the driver may have forgottentheir phone outside of the vehicle and only discover that when the phoneis needed.

Bluetooth (BT) is a short-range wireless technology originally designedto replace patch cable between personal computers and relatedperipherals. This technology is making its way into mobile cellularphones to enable them to communicate over short range with otherdevices. BT applications may be connected to a personal phone in anin-vehicle hands free system. In one scenario, the driver gets intotheir vehicle and starts driving without pulling their phone out oftheir pocket. A BT transceiver that is part of the in-vehicle hands freesystem and the BT transceiver in the phone discover each other andestablish a continuous wireless link. The hands free system now uses thedriver's personal phone to connect with the cellular network.

The above solution suffers from limitations similar to the cradlesolution and more severe. For example, wireless connections areinherently unreliable. On occasions the two systems do not establish aconnection when the driver enters the car. Unlike when placing a phoneinto a cradle, there is no physical, tangible cue to the driver toindicate a likely connection failure. Even after the initial connectionhas been established, it may be dropped at any time; even in the middleof a conversation. In addition, the phone may be placed at a location inthe vehicle with poor cellular reception (e.g. below glass window level)that does not have access to a vehicle mounted external antenna. Lastly,in dense traffic and given BT security issues, conversation privacy maybe compromised as it may leak over the BT network to other vehicles inclose proximity.

Therefore, there exists a need to provide a more reliable, less costly,hands free vehicle phone system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a phone embedded within a vehicle forautomatically using a service plan of a personal mobile phone. Theembedded phone includes an internal communication component that detectsthe presence of the personal mobile phone, and receives a mobilesubscriber identification number from the detected phone. The embeddedphone also includes an external communication component that sends thereceived mobile subscriber identification number to a wireless networkauthority, and receives an authentication request to the personal mobilephone via the embedded phone. The internal communication component sendsthe authentication request to the personal mobile phone. The personalmobile phone generates an authentication signal, and the externalcommunication component sends the authentication signal to the wirelessnetwork authority.

In accordance with further aspects of the invention, the internalcommunication component performs interaction with the personal mobilephone based on a Bluetooth link, an infrared wireless (IR) link, an802.11 wireless network link, or a physical electrical wire link.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The preferred and alternative embodiments of the present invention aredescribed in detail below with reference to the following drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating a preferred process performed bythe system shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention is a system and method for enabling an in-vehicleembedded phone to use the account, calling plan and phone number of apersonal mobile phone. A vehicle 20 is equipped with a TelematicsControl Unit (TCU) 30 and an embedded vehicle phone 40. Embedded vehiclephone 40 may be independent from or integral with TCU 30. TCU 30includes a wireless communication module 32 capable of short rangewireless communication with other compatible devices, such as a personalmobile phone 50. TCU 30 includes hands-free components (not shown)directly linked to embedded phone 40. Hands-free components can also beincluded in embedded vehicle phone 40. The hands-free components mayinclude a microphone, speakers, and speech recognition and synthesizingsoftware. TCU 30 retrieves information from compatible mobile wirelessphone 50 for allowing embedded phone 40 to provide access to thewireless communication network using the retrieved information.

FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention. First, atblock 100, communication module 32 detects the presence of a compatiblephone, such as personal mobile phone 50. Detection can be performed anumber of ways, for example, personal mobile phone 50 transmits a shortrange identification signal or communication module 32 transmits a shortrange signal that requests a response from any compatible phone within aproximity. When a compatible personal mobile phone 50 is detected, theuser (a driver or passenger in the vehicle) is informed about thedetected phone (block 102). At block 104, TCU 30 asks the driver if theywish to use the service associated with the detected phone in embeddedvehicle phone 40. Asking the driver can be performed by presenting aquery on a display or outputting a voice query over a speaker. If thedriver approves of using the detected phone's account information,mobile subscriber identification number from the detected phone is sentto vehicle phone 40 via the communication module 32 (block 106). Atblock 108, embedded vehicle phone 40 sends the mobile subscriberidentification number to a wireless network access authority. At block110, the wireless network access authority returns a request forauthentication to the embedded vehicle phone. Embedded vehicle phone 40sends the request for authentication to the detected phone (block 112).The detected phone performs authentication in response to the requestand sends an authentication response to embedded vehicle phone 40 (block114). At block 116, the embedded vehicle phone sends the session key tothe wireless network access authority. After the wireless network accessauthority receives the session key, the access authority opens a sessionwith embedded vehicle phone 40 (block 118).

Once a session is opened or interaction is begun with embedded vehiclephone 40, the embedded vehicle phone operates as if it were the detectedphone. Because embedded vehicle phone 40 includes hands-free componentswithin vehicle 20, or is coupled to hands-free components of TCU 30, thedriver vocalizes all instructions for operating the embedded phone. Thehands-free components may include a voice recognition processor forconverting voice into operating commands.

Once the link is established, the vehicle user bypasses the personalphone and directly uses the vehicle phone—albeit with the accountinformation from the personal phone. In alternative embodiments, theaccount link between personal mobile phone 50 and embedded vehicle phone40 may be terminated based on certain trigger events associated with thevehicle or driver, such as when the engine is turned off or the vehicleis locked. Triggers may also include safety related events, such assudden stops or reaching excessive speeds.

In an alternative embodiment, personal mobile phone 50 may electricallyconnect to TCU 30, either mounted in a cradle or connected via a shortcable. TCU 30 detects the personal mobile phone's presence when thephone is placed into the cradle or connected via a cable. In anotherembodiment, personal mobile phone 50 communicates with TCU 30 over anInfrared wireless (IR) link, or an 802.11 Wireless LAN to establishcommunication between TCU 30 and personal mobile phone 50.

From time to time the network may request re-authentication. TCU 30forwards all requests in the above-described manner to personal mobilephone 50. If that operation fails, TCU 30 optionally notifies the driverand then reverts to using its own account. In the absence of such anaccount, TCU 30 notifies the driver of its inability to make the call,save for emergency calls (e.g., in the United States, 911 calls and allother phone numbers defined as ‘emergency numbers’), which may be madeeven in the absence of a TCU account.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated anddescribed, as noted above, many changes can be made without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, variousalternate embodiments of the present invention may be implemented usinga variety of telecommunication protocols, such as GSM, TDMA, CDMA, iDEN,etc. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by thedisclosure of the preferred embodiment.

1. A method for automatically using a service plan of a personal mobilephone over a phone embedded within a vehicle, the method comprising:detecting the presence of the personal mobile phone; sending the mobilesubscriber identification number from the detected phone to the embeddedphone; sending the mobile subscriber identification number from theembedded phone to a wireless network authority; sending anauthentication request to the personal mobile phone via the embeddedphone; authenticating communication; sending a confirmation of theauthentication to the wireless network authority via the embedded phone;and opening a communication session with the embedded phone based on thesent confirmation.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting thepresence of the personal mobile phone is performed based on at least oneof a Bluetooth link, an infrared wireless (IR) link, an 802.11 wirelessnetwork link, or a physical electrical wire link.
 3. A phone embeddedwithin a vehicle for automatically using a service plan of a personalmobile phone, the embedded phone comprising: an internal communicationcomponent for detecting the presence of the personal mobile phone, andreceiving a mobile subscriber identification number from the detectedphone; and an external communication component for sending the receivedmobile subscriber identification number to a wireless network authority,and receiving an authentication request to the personal mobile phone viathe embedded phone, wherein the internal communication component sendsthe authentication request to the personal mobile phone that generatesan authentication signal, the external communication component sends theauthentication signal to the wireless network authority.
 4. The embeddedphone of claim 1, wherein the internal communication component performsinteraction with the personal mobile phone based on at least one of aBluetooth link, an infrared wireless (IR) link, an 802.11 wirelessnetwork link, or a physical electrical wire link.